


Riley Meets the Gang

by JetGirl1832, tomatopudding



Series: Friends Make Life A Lot More Fun [16]
Category: Rent - Larson
Genre: Canon Jewish Character, F/M, Female Jewish Character, First Meetings, Found Family, Friendship, Fun, Gen, No Angst, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-16
Updated: 2017-02-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 20:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9784742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JetGirl1832/pseuds/JetGirl1832, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomatopudding/pseuds/tomatopudding
Summary: Mark's friends are his family, so it only makes sense that Riley would end up meeting them all.October 1991





	

"Boho residence, Riley speaking!"

 

"What the fuck? No one ever answers on the first ring..." Collins mumbled into the phone, "I didn't dial the wrong number... Tell me, two guys named Mark and Roger didn't move without telling me, right?"

 

Riley laughed, "Nope, they still live here, but they're not home right now. How can I help?"

 

"Uh," Collins paused, "well, toss down the keys and let me in."  
  
Riley paused and twisted the phone cord around her finger, "Letting a strange man into the loft? I don't think so."

 

"Riley what's going on?" Mimi traipsed into the room, "thought I heard the phone ring."  
  
Riley lowered the phone, "Someone calling for Roger and Mark, wants me to throw down the keys?"  
  
"Oh that's probably Collins, let me talk to him," Mimi gestured to the phone and Riley passed it to her.

 

"Collins! You're home!" Mimi squealed into the phone, "How was Mexico?"  
  
She gestured to Riley with her head, "Uh huh."  
  
Riley grabbed one of the keys off of the hook by the door and stepped out onto the fire escape. At the phone booth down below, a dark-skinned man in a knit beanie was talking and he looked up, waving at Riley. Riley dropped the key down and he snatched it out of the air.

 

Riley let out a sigh and walked back inside, "Okay, so who is that?" She asked.  
  
"Collins, I already told you that," Mimi replied as she started making coffee, "and he is a lot better at introducing himself then I am-"  
  
The large door slid open and Collins entered the apartment

 

"What's new, pussycat!" Collins called out, he put down his bag and pulled Mimi into a hug, kissing the top of her head.  
  
"Tom Collins," he introduced, holding out a hand to Riley, "Philosopher, gentleman, and scholar."  
  
He surprised her by kissing the back on her hand instead of shaking it.

 

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Riley," Collins greeted her, "now I must ask what has come about that brings a new member to our Bohemian cult?

 

Riley giggled at his suave attitude, "Trying to convince Mark that we're meant to be," she said with a sigh, "We've gone out a few times, but he won't call me his girlfriend."  
  
"Fool," Mimi scoffed.  
  
"Sing it, girl," Collins responded.

 

"I will praise the fact that clearly you seem to have managed to make Mark get over Maureen," he added with a chuckle.  
  
"You know I feel that I've heard a lot about her and yet I'm still clueless," Riley replied, "he did briefly mention an ex-girlfriend being a lesbian."

 

"You haven't met Maureen?" Collins said, "You're not home free yet. Mark, Roger, and Maureen have been friends forever. If you don't get both of their approval, it's not going to happen."  
  
"Geeze," Riley mumbled, "Way to raise a girl's spirits."

 

"Hey buck up," Mimi leaned on the table near Riley, "Roger already likes you, so you’re half way there."

 

"Those three are the frickin’ trifecta," Collins smiled.

 

"The Three Musketeers," Mimi giggled.

 

"Okay, still confused, and what do I do if I don't get Maureen's approval," Riley asked, "is it really that important? Did Mark and Maureen have to approve you?" she asked Mimi.

 

"What can I say, I'm special?" Mimi winked, "Collins you want coffee?"

 

"Girl, you've got to get your memory checked. Mark gave his approval the minute you wrote in the frost on their window," Collins grinned, "As for Maureen, she gave you the old up-and-down at the Life Cafe the night of her protest, in between macking on Joanne," he laughed, "She gave you a check mark before you guys kissed for the first time. Besides the two of them, the only one who noticed was Angel," his voice broke slightly on the name.  
  
"Always perceptive, that chica," Mimi said with a smile of her own, "I'll ask again, coffee?"  
  
"Please."  
  
"Who's Angel," the moment the words were out of her mouth, Riley knew they were the wrong ones and grimaced slightly, "Sorry."

 

Mimi's face got dark, she was fine until that point. Angel was still a sore subject, she missed her best friend everyday.

 

"Angel was," Mimi began, "Angel was the most amazing, ravishing and fabulous person you could ever hope to meet, and god help you if you ever got on her bad side," she laughed slightly.

 

"She was the light of my life," Collins added, smiling kindly at Riley, "She died from a complication due to HIV almost a year ago."  
  
"Oh," Riley looked away, "I'm sorry for bringing it up."  
  
"Nah," Collins sighed, "I miss her, my little firecracker. Here."  
  
He went to his bag and pulled out a small photo album, moving to the couch and patting the seat beside him. Riley sat and Collins opened the album.

 

Mimi had been right, judging by the pictures Angel was fabulous in every sense of the word, "Did you take these pictures?"

 

Collins laughed, "Are you kidding? I can't take pictures for shit. This is all Mark's work. Except for that one," he pointed to a picture of all of them at the Life Cafe, although he was smiling, Mark looked vaguely worried, "He's watching the waiter like a hawk. Pumpkin Head loves his camera more than life itself."

 

"Pumpkin Head?" Riley knit her brows together, "Please don't tell me you call him that to his face..."

 

"Oh no," Collins assured, when Riley looked relieved, he added, "Albino Pumpkin Head is what we call him to his face."

 

"Oh, come on he's not Albino," Riley replied now aware of her own fair skin, but she was lucky, she actually tanned very well during summer.

 

"Is she always this literal-minded?" Collins asked Mimi with a grin, "It's just a joke.

 

Riley blushed, "Collins lay off her," Mimi laughed, "she's still got that new car smell. Not used to our ways."

 

Collins nudged Riley with his elbow affectionately, "Chin up, before you know it you'll be shooting the shit like the best of us." He slung an arm around Riley's shoulders to give her a quick hug when the loft door rolled open to admit Mark and Roger, laughing boisterously.

 

"Collins!" Roger declared when he noticed the philosopher's presence, "You're back!"

 

"Ten minutes ago, bitches," he laughed, "Making me wait? That's no way to treat a friend." He hopped up from the couch and embraced both of the other men at once, squishing the three of them together tightly.

 

When they broke apart Collins firmly placed his hands on Mark's shoulders, "Now why did you tell me you finally got a girlfriend? And that she’s living with you?" he was shaking Mark as he spoke and the filmmakers glasses were slipping off his face, "That's big news Marky-Mark!"

 

Mark stammered and blushed, refusing to meet Collins's eyes, "Well, she's not really--I mean, she didn't have anywhere---I don't." Collins laughed, embarrassing Mark further.

 

"Oh I've gotten the run down on your sort of girlfriend," Collins nodded his head.

 

Mark looked rather worried, "Oh?"

 

"Making her wait on getting Maureen's approval isn't fair," Collins nodded. Mark had been caught off guard, "What? I don't need Maureen's approval-"

 

He stopped himself when he saw Collins's raised eyebrow, "That's never going to work, is it?" Collins shook his head smugly.

 

"Mo only has your best interests at heart," Collins added.

 

"Right," Roger rolled his eyes.

 

"Don't say it in that tone," Mimi scolded, "I know you got her permission before we started going out." Roger just grinned.

 

"So why you holding out on her?" Collins asked, "You afraid of what will happen if you introduce her?"

 

"Yeah, kind of," Mark admitted.

 

"What's the worst that could happen?" Riley interjected, "Obviously she's pretty chill if she's friends with you lot, right?"

 

Roger and Mark exchanged glances and sighed in unison. "MoMo," Roger began, "is..."

 

"Complicated," finished Mark wryly.

 

Riley let out a sigh that was bordering on a scowl, she was getting nowhere with anyone here when it came to discussing Maureen and it was getting frustrating, "Complicated? Care to elaborate?"

 

Before anyone could do so, a female voice floated through the door. "Knock knock!" Mimi was closest and she pulled open the door to allow two women to enter.

 

Beside her, Joanne gave a small wave, but stayed silent. Mark resisted the urge to groan. Silence meant one of two things. Either she and Maureen were just getting over a fight, or they were about to have one.

 

This is not how he had intended on introducing Riley to the two of them, but it was too late now. Maureen, like a heat seeking missile seemed to have already locked her sights in on Riley.

 

"Ooo, is this her? This is her, isn't it." Maureen slunk over, not that she could do anything but slink in her painted-on purple pants.

 

She did seem to be looking Riley up and down as she got closer and Riley couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. "Marky how could you hide us from her like this!"

 

"I wasn't hiding Riley, Maureen," Mark grumbled.

 

"Oh she has a name!" Maureen gushed, "What an interesting name, Riley..."

 

"Thanks," Riley said, eyeing Maureen warily, "it's short for Ariella."

 

"Jewish, even!" Maureen laughed, "Well, that already makes you better than the last one in my book."

 

"Maureen, please," groaned Mark.

 

"Wait, but," Riley paused her gaze lingering on Maureen, "weren't you--"

 

Maureen laughed, "We haven't been together for a while. Mind you, we were together for some time."

 

"Two years," Roger supplied.

 

"Only had one other relationship since then," Maureen continued, "Remember, Marky, how you tried..."

 

"Enough," commanded Mark, "Joanne, could you keep the leash on her."

 

"Kinky," said Maureen slyly.

 

Riley really had no idea what to make of Maureen, the fact that she ever dated Mark was almost baffling.

 

Or rather, the fact that Mark had ever dated her. Mark and Maureen were complete opposites in every way, as far as she could tell.

 

"Maureen," Joanne scolded.

 

"Lighten up, pookie," Maureen shot back with a wave of her hand, "Now, Riley. Tell me about you."

 

"What do you want to know?" Riley asked, slightly nervous. She'd always considered herself to be brave and self-confident, but something about Maureen made that all go away.

 

"Anything and everything," Maureen declared, if there was one person who could make jazz hands work in real life it was Maureen Johnson.

 

"Uh," Riley stammered, where to begin? "Well I'm from Ohio--"

 

"Boring," Roger tried to hide his words in a cough and Riley shot him an icy glare.

"Whatever," she said, "you're just jealous of how cool I am."

Collins let out a laugh, "You have no idea. Roger hasn't been cool since he was in a band." 

"Oh, that reminds me, you missed it!" Mimi said, "Roger's been picking up some gigs again!"

 

"A few," Roger admitted.

 

"Loooove songs," Maureen crooned, batting her eyelashes.

 

Roger took that moment to to lightly shove Maureen so that she almost toppled over. Maureen stuck her tongue out at him, grabbing Joanne's arm to stay upright.

 

A small smile spread across Joanne's face, "Maybe I should separate you two."

 

"Oh god you sound like my elementary school recess monitor," Roger groaned, "Roger Davis stop pulling on Maureen's hair!"

 

"Roger Davis, stop taking Maureen's dolls," Maureen added.

 

"And my personal favorite," Roger smiled, "Roger Davis how dare you push Maureen into the mud?"

 

Riley had sat down next to Mark, "How the fuck did they become friends?"

 

"Me," Mark said honestly, embarrassed.

 

"It's true," Roger said, coming over to ruffle Mark's hair.


End file.
